Neele-Vat is exploring a wealth of opportunities in the chemical sector

The chemical sector in Rotterdam is going from strength to strength thanks to significant investments from the business community. An active ecosystem of manufacturing and logistics companies and maritime service providers for all cargo flows ensures economies of scale in transportation, storage, and transshipment. Innovation and collaboration also contribute to an excellent business climate. Consequently, Neele-Vat new ADR distribution center on Maasvlakte 2 is performing very well.

The largest warehouse for hazardous materials in the Netherlands, which was completed in early 2016, is now fully operational. Cuno Vat, Managing Director of Neele-Vat , therefore refers to it as a growth market. “Chemical processing is increasingly taking place in the Middle East. The same applies to the United States due to cheap shale gas. International trade flows are such that more storage space is needed here for products from those regions.”

Consolidation Center

Additional space has been secured at the Maasvlakte next to Neele-Vat’s existing ADR (Accord marchandises Dangereuses par Route) warehouse. The new warehouse can accommodate 20,000 pallets, distributed across seven compartments designed in accordance with the PGS 15 guideline for the storage of hazardous substances. This means that the total storage capacity for chemicals and other hazardous substances at the Rotterdam-based family-owned company on the Maasvlakte has doubled.

The company’s facilities also include the Export Consolidation Center, where hazardous materials for various customers are stored until a container can be efficiently filled. “It’s a real solution for companies that don’t have continuous large freight flows.” In total, Neele-Vat has more than 185,000 square meters of storage space spread across various locations in the Rotterdam and Amsterdam regions.

Concrete

Vat believes that his company and the chemical sector are a good fit. “As a family-owned business, we focus on the long term. Chemical companies do the same, given their enormous investments. We also place great value on beauty, cleanliness, and efficiency—qualities that are highly valued in the chemical sector as well, and not just for safety reasons.”

Nevertheless, the new warehouse is a state-of-the-art facility in terms of safety. Any fire that breaks out in the 12,000-square-meter distribution center is extinguished with CO2, which causes less collateral damage than water or foam. If such an emergency occurs, a special alarm system ensures that everyone evacuates the warehouse before the CO2 depletes the oxygen levels in the air.

Sustainability has also been taken into account. The building is constructed of concrete and therefore requires less cooling in the summer and less heating in the winter. In addition, LED lighting is used throughout the facility, and the roof has already been prepared for a solar panel system.

Investing in the Future

Neele-Vat is not resting on its laurels now that the new warehouse has been put into operation. As Vat explained: “It would be foolish to do so. The Rotterdam chemical sector offers a wealth of opportunities. We are currently exploring the possibilities for a filling line that would allow us to repackage and/or fill hazardous substances as part of the transition from bulk to drums. We have also just acquired an additional 10,000 square meters of land on the Maasvlakte from the Port of Rotterdam. We will use the space to expand our gasmeetstation and implement digital container weighing.”

Source : https://www.portofrotterdam.com

An animation of the largest PGS15 distribution center in the Netherlands can be viewed below the photo.